Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Periodic Table Starter: Free Printable Chart for Year 7
- ForYear 7
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Periodic Table Starter is a free printable chart for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12), in Key Stage 3. Children meet the first twelve elements by atomic number, from hydrogen to magnesium. They match each symbol to its name and put the elements in order. It takes about 15 minutes, needs only paper, scissors and a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children meet the first twelve elements of the periodic table, from hydrogen to magnesium. Each card shows an atomic number, a symbol and a name. Children cut the cards out and sort them into order. They can then use the same cards to practise matching each symbol to its name. The task is about recall, so it suits short, repeated practice, alone or with a partner.
- 1 H Hydrogen
- 2 He Helium
- 3 Li Lithium
- 4 Be Beryllium
- 5 B Boron
- 6 C Carbon
- 7 N Nitrogen
- 8 O Oxygen
- 9 F Fluorine
- 10 Ne Neon
- 11 Na Sodium
- 12 Mg Magnesium
Ways to make the chart stick
Four at a time
Pick the first four cards and learn only those. Cover the names and say them from the symbols. Add the next four when the first group feels easy.
Say it, cover it, check it
Read a card aloud, turn it over, then say the symbol and name from memory. Turn it back to check. Saying words aloud helps memory.
Make a clue for each one
Invent a short clue or picture for each symbol. A silly clue is often the one a child remembers best. Let them write it on the back of the card.
Build the line
Lay the cards in a row in order, then take one away and ask what is missing. Put it back and try a different card.
What the periodic table is for
The periodic table is a chart of all the known elements. An element is a pure substance made of one type of atom. The table lists elements in order of atomic number, and it is laid out in rows and columns so that elements with similar properties sit together. Scientists use it every day, and it appears throughout secondary science.
Year 7 is a good time to start learning the first few entries. Children will meet these names again when they study particles, chemical reactions and the properties of materials. Knowing the symbols early means later lessons feel less like a new language. Each symbol is one capital letter, or a capital followed by a lower case letter. Writing them neatly matters, because the case of the letters changes the meaning.
This sheet is paper only. Any demonstration with chemicals or reactive metals belongs in a school science lab, led by a trained adult. Please do not try experiments with elements at home.
Quick facts about elements
- Every element has its own atomic number, and no two elements share one.
- Helium gas is lighter than air, which is why helium balloons float.
- Carbon is found in all living things, including you.
- Nitrogen makes up most of the air we breathe.
- Neon gives a bright glow in some glass tube signs when electricity passes through it.
Skills and curriculum link
- Recalling symbols
- Atomic number
- Memory strategies
- Ordering numbers
- Scientific vocabulary
Useful ideas to know before you start
- What an element isAn element is made of only one kind of atom. Everything around us is made from elements or from elements joined together.
- What atomic number meansAtomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. It is a whole number, and it is different for every element.
- How symbols are writtenA symbol is one or two letters. The first is always a capital. If there is a second letter, it is lower case.
- Why order mattersThe periodic table is built in order of atomic number. Putting cards in order is practice for reading the real table later.
Key words
- ElementA pure substance made of only one type of atom.
- SymbolA short code of one or two letters that stands for an element.
- Atomic numberThe number of protons in an atom of an element. It decides where the element sits in the table.
- Periodic tableA chart of all the known elements, set out in order of atomic number.
- AtomA tiny particle that is the building block of an element.
- RecallRemembering something without looking it up.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Cut out the cards together. Each one shows an atomic number, a symbol and a name. Read a few aloud.
- Ask your child to sort the cards into order. Talk about how they decided, and let them change their mind.
- Check against the notes on page 2. Then cover the names and try matching the symbols from memory.
- Come back another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence, and short bursts work better than one long session.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Learn four elements at a time. Link each symbol to a clue, such as a picture or a word that starts with the same letter. Say each name aloud and cover it. When four feel secure, add the next four.
To stretch confident children
Choose one element from the chart and find out one way it is used. Write a short fact card with its name, symbol, atomic number and use. Swap cards with a partner and test each other.
Make it a game
Play Missing Card. Lay the cards in order, then one player closes their eyes while the other takes one away. Can they name the missing element and its symbol? Swap roles and take turns.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child mixes up two symbols that start with the same letter, such as B and Be.
Try thisPut the two cards side by side. Point out that the second letter makes the difference. Say each name slowly as you point.
Watch forA child writes both letters of a symbol as capitals.
Try thisRemind them that only the first letter is a capital. Let them practise writing a few symbols in neat, small letters on lined paper.
Watch forA child puts the cards in alphabetical order instead of number order.
Try thisAsk which number on the card decides the order. Have them point to the atomic number and sort again by that.
Talk about it
- Which symbols were easy to remember, and why?
- How did you decide the order of the cards?
- Which element would you most like to find out more about?
- Where might you have come across any of these names before?
- What clue did you make up to help you remember a tricky symbol?
- Why do you think scientists use short symbols instead of full names?
Take it off the page
Symbol hunt
Look around the home for labels that mention elements, such as on food packets or toothpaste. Write down any names you find that match your chart.
Chalk chart
Draw a large number line in chalk outdoors. Write each element's symbol in the right place and hop along it, saying each name aloud.
Memory strip
Write the symbols on a paper strip and the names on another. Cut each strip into pieces, jumble them, then rebuild the matching pairs.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead. Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty. Praise effort and clever clues, not only right answers, and come back to it another day.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary or early finisher. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. It works well before a first lesson on the periodic table, or as a recall check a few weeks later.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider science plan. Pair it with books about materials and everyday talk about what things are made from. Reprint it for brothers and sisters, or for revision later.
Where this fits
Before this sheet, children have usually met the idea that materials are made of different substances, and that some are mixtures. They may know simple ideas about particles from earlier science lessons.
After this sheet, children can learn more of the periodic table, look at how elements are grouped, and begin to write simple formulae. Secure symbols make all of that easier. The same method of short, repeated recall works for later elements too.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Periodic Table Starter for?
It is written for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12), in Key Stage 3. Older or younger children can also use it as a first look at the periodic table, with a grown up helping.
- What will children practise?
They learn the symbols and names of the first twelve elements in the periodic table. They also practise atomic number by sorting cards into order, and they build memory skills through matching.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages, cut out the cards and sort them into order. One student or a pair can work in about 15 minutes. Check against the notes on page 2, then come back another day.
- What if it feels too hard?
Learn four elements at a time. Link each symbol to a clue and cover the names to test yourself. Add the next four once the first group feels secure.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision whenever you need it.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It takes about 15 minutes and needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting out the cards.
- Do I need a screen or colour printer?
No. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper, scissors and a pencil. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.